Fresh and juicy conversations on making yoga a part of your daily life
by guest author Jan Goldie Retreat is a funny word. It's evolved over time. Back in the day it meant to run away or draw back from the enemy. It was a bit of a cop out. Nowadays, we focus on the second half of the word. Treat! To go on a retreat is to find a safe place, a haven. Perhaps to get away from a different kind of enemy; the worries and stresses of everyday life. So when I was offered the chance to join my Mum and sister at my second Ashram Yoga weekend, a Revival … [Read more...]
There is a simplicity in the teachings of Gangaji that underscores the paradox of the spiritual journey - she teaches that the truth of who we are is already free and at peace, and that it can be discovered by simply ending one’s search. Like the effortless effort that arises when we switch from doing a yoga pose to being a yoga pose, the search for enlightenment ends when we realise there is nothing to search for, nothing to become, for we are already there. For Gangaji, born Merle … [Read more...]
New Zealand is blessed next month with the arrival of Gregory Kramer, an American practitioner and teacher of Insight Meditation. Gregory is also the co-founder and director of the Metta Foundation, Portland, Oregon, a center of Buddhist practice in the Insight Meditation tradition. He has developed a practice that takes meditation off the mat and into interpersonal relationships, as outlined in his book Insight Dialogue. One review of this work from Joseph Goldstein, author of Insight … [Read more...]
There is a rich Satyananda Yoga tradition in New Zealand, which means we are fortunate to often play host to traveling Satyananda Swamis from around the world. Next month (March 2010), Anahata Retreat just outside of Nelson is hosting Swami Muktimurti from Mangrove Mountain near Mountain. An expert in Mantra and ancient Sanskrit, she is hosting a nine day/ten night retreat focused on Nada Yoga, or the yoga of sound. Swami Muktimurti is well known for her singing. She has pursued a … [Read more...]
by guest author Amrita Visualise... ...a daily life of hatha yoga, meditation, pranayama, chanting, deep philosophical discussions. Imagine... ...absorbing the positive energy and inhaling fresh air in a quiet and idyllic environment surrounded by nature and then sharing delicious vegetarian meals and sleeping in simple dwellings. … [Read more...]
New Zealand yogis are blessed to have a stunning yoga retreat located down in the Marlborough Sounds, easily accessible from any part of the country. Every year, Anahata Retreat hosts a variety of retreats, workshops and events. They're already got an extensive list of options out for 2010, so now is the perfect time to read through and decide which event you're going to attend. Swami Muktidharma also leads retreats in India, and there are a couple scheduled for the end of the year - … [Read more...]
